MandLBee
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2017
Hey, Fort Wilderness Folks! I just wanted to share our story and a little happiness I had today as I was buying a 13x13 shelter for $84 at a local Bargain store.
So, for the last two years, my husband has been unwell, part of that time on disability (which means a 40% income decrease), dealing with some post traumatic stress injuries and other ailments making it impossible for him to do his usual high stress IT work. About 9 months ago, I decided we needed to have some togetherness as a family that was fun and had nothing to do with the therapy and the doctors and illness. We are a really happy and close family of 7, but we are so tired from all these stressors! SO! I thought a Disney/Harry Potter vacation would be great! Until I started looking at how impossible it is to get SEVEN PEOPLE onto Disney property under $650/night. Insane!
My Disney planner friend and another friend with five kids mentioned THE FORT, and the rest is history. But I had almost no camping equipment (well, a stove, some tables, a tent for DH and me, some other stuff) or vacation gear at all. For so many years, before DH's healing, and with three family members with anxiety or autistic issues, vacation has been out of the question. Even short trips to see family have often ended early or been really difficult. Thank God, and some really good doctors, things are so much better. So I started, little by little, buying what we needed to camp at Fort Wilderness.
So far, we have bought everything either on Amazon or at our local overstock/returns Bargain Hunt. Or a couple things at Wal-Mart. It includes:
Two Coleman shelters and guylines
An Ozark Trail tent and stakes and guylines
A tarp and more stakes
4 sleeping bags
A queen cot and air mattress
6 camp chairs
7 Brita filter water bottles
5 sets Packing cubes
4 Fanny packs, a Spibelt, and 2 lanyards
2 hammocks
All told, so far, considering all costs, I've still spent $800 LESS than I would have spent on the cheapest possible resort on property. Plus, we can go anywhere we like and be comfortable now with all our fancy camping stuff
So excited to get in our big old conversion van and head to The Fort in November. Here's hoping our first family vacation will be a success!
So, for the last two years, my husband has been unwell, part of that time on disability (which means a 40% income decrease), dealing with some post traumatic stress injuries and other ailments making it impossible for him to do his usual high stress IT work. About 9 months ago, I decided we needed to have some togetherness as a family that was fun and had nothing to do with the therapy and the doctors and illness. We are a really happy and close family of 7, but we are so tired from all these stressors! SO! I thought a Disney/Harry Potter vacation would be great! Until I started looking at how impossible it is to get SEVEN PEOPLE onto Disney property under $650/night. Insane!
My Disney planner friend and another friend with five kids mentioned THE FORT, and the rest is history. But I had almost no camping equipment (well, a stove, some tables, a tent for DH and me, some other stuff) or vacation gear at all. For so many years, before DH's healing, and with three family members with anxiety or autistic issues, vacation has been out of the question. Even short trips to see family have often ended early or been really difficult. Thank God, and some really good doctors, things are so much better. So I started, little by little, buying what we needed to camp at Fort Wilderness.
So far, we have bought everything either on Amazon or at our local overstock/returns Bargain Hunt. Or a couple things at Wal-Mart. It includes:
Two Coleman shelters and guylines
An Ozark Trail tent and stakes and guylines
A tarp and more stakes
4 sleeping bags
A queen cot and air mattress
6 camp chairs
7 Brita filter water bottles
5 sets Packing cubes
4 Fanny packs, a Spibelt, and 2 lanyards
2 hammocks
All told, so far, considering all costs, I've still spent $800 LESS than I would have spent on the cheapest possible resort on property. Plus, we can go anywhere we like and be comfortable now with all our fancy camping stuff
So excited to get in our big old conversion van and head to The Fort in November. Here's hoping our first family vacation will be a success!